Wi-Fi security · Plain-English answer
Safer than its reputation, but not risk free. Most websites now use HTTPS, which encrypts your traffic even on open networks. The remaining risks are fake hotspots run by attackers, unencrypted sites and apps, and the network operator seeing which domains you visit. Sensible habits close most of those gaps.
The horror stories about public Wi-Fi mostly date from an era when websites sent passwords in plain text. Today the overwhelming majority of sites use HTTPS, which encrypts the content of your browsing between your device and the site, so someone capturing café traffic sees scrambled data rather than your messages and card numbers.
That is genuine progress, and it is honest to say public Wi-Fi in 2026 is far less dangerous than folklore suggests. It is not the same as saying the risks are gone.
HTTPS hides page contents but not the metadata around them. The network operator, and anyone sniffing an open network, can typically see which domains you contact and when, building a tidy log of your habits. Older apps and devices that skip encryption leak more.
The sharper risk is fake hotspots that impersonate legitimate networks, since the attacker then controls everything. A VPN answers the metadata and rogue network problems by encrypting all traffic before it leaves your device, which is why it pairs naturally with public Wi-Fi rather than replacing caution about which network you join.
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